St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1887-07-23

IA
"ss ms Queen, and he her King.
'oM. CAe:ter Roctsresl. IN cGrrens
A SQUARE MAN.
Ine True Story OF q Diamond In
tho Rough.
ny friend. Thomas 7. r, is a book
Keeper in q large manufacturing
establishment in upper New York.
Thomas is one of the s.nicest'' little
men that ever seemed to have ..just
stepped from . band-box" His char
acter is As white as his shirt front and
ms manifold virtues shining a his
polished No. s shoes.
Thomas is as honest, kindly a soul as
ever drew breath or pen. and his hatred
OF every species Of vulgarity was doubt
less born in him ct the same time with
his ''niceness.''
called on Thomas a few weeks ago.
and. greatly to my surprise, saw
moving about with every appearance
OF being perfectly at home and in en-
loyment of full confidence, and per-
forming many duties in q crab-like,
awkward. bull-in-a-china-shop sort Of .
way. my old. young friend. .'Stumpy."
the youth who used to s.shine" my
boots every morning when I lived in
that locality. He was well named by
whoever bestowed upon him that
title; he had stumpy legs. . stumpy
body. stumpy arms, . stumpy nose.
and the top of his head looked
rs though. while still warm. it
had been carefully attended by vio-
lent pressure from a stove-plate or some
like level-surface implement. Thomas
I. r shook my hand in mild rapture.
while Stumpy grinned . welcome all
over the back of his head, and became,
through excitement more crab-like
than ever in his movements.
Igazed in silent astOnishment at this
strange but evidently Satisfactory asso-
citation, and waited for time to reveal
the secret
Time did this-dinner-time. when l
accompanied my friend to his bachelor
quarters.
''What in the name Of all that is
MIXED" I asked. ''are you doing with
that boy in your office?''
MY dear SIR" replied Thomas 7. r.
-hc always commences his little
speeches as formally Is he does his let
ters-''that is one Of the most remark
able boys of the century. A rough
diamond. sir. ! assure you; still rough.
but . very, very remarkably valuable
diamond. on my honor"
And this is the story gathered from
the rather long-spun and slightly stilted
recital Of my friend:
Despite his detestation Of everything
vulgar, Thomas I. r was forced. by
sad experience, to acknowledge that
from no bootblack in his vicinity could
he obtain . ..shine" of the same reful-
gence and perpetuity as from Stumpy.
and though the appearance OF the lad
was revolving to his nicely, and the
language Of the street arab continually
shocked all his ideas Of propriety, stih
Thomas 7. r outraged his eyes and his
ears for the sake of the ''patent-ledder
shine" which seemed t. come at the
cali Of the nimble brushes of vigorous
Stumpy, - from those of none other Of
the craft, and certain degree of init
macy was established between the two
very opposite characters
6tumpy was by no means diffdent
youth. and soon after feeling satisfied
that his contract was permanent one
as regarded the backing Of Thomas T.
RS boots, he began to impress upon
the mind Of the latter his (Stumpy's)
aspirations for ..gittin' ahead"
:.rm squar, boss, l am" he would
saw. ..an' yo' kin count on me efry
time. Ny ole mann she brung me up to
be squar'. an ! amt goin' back on 'er.
NO how. De ole man, he amt no good.
he .in't He's . doin' time up'n de
;sl.nd. dat's war he is. an de third er
fort er fif time he's been der. He amt
NO GOOD. But my ole mann. she's all
d.r she is, an I'm squar'. am. an
done We fergit it. An say. boss. when
TO- wants a fellar roun' ter clean up
an sich, gi's show, won'tchers I'm
rough lookin'. but I'm squar. On
don n'tcher forgit It."
And then Stumpy would shoulder his
hox. pocket his nickel. and swing out
N nnrsuit of more business
Constant contact with the boy recon-
.;,c5 Thomas I. r to many peculiari-
ties. the continual harping upon the
one desire to "git ahead" and his be-
;rc ever within call gradually intro
drced him into the Office at other times
.h.n nvhen he was ..improving the shin
;.c hour" and Thomas 7. +. much to
h;e own surprise. found. after awhile
.h.t he was delegating to ''StumPy the
dnst;nr and arranging OF his own
- u.;v.te desk or table, which previously
h.d been sacred to the attentions OF MS
hands only. SeumPy had. cy SUI
er.nce. q corner in the once "nere ne
cnnld sit and scribble when not pro
sess;onally engaged ostside. ana 80
~:.s,.E;no and in06sO was ne
!r...TT r soon fo1 - could en-
Nov Nov the new hand in directing envel-
l'.:.. p'os a. and the prompt fess in doing
inch travel that b once thoagns coolo
:. IN performed BY none but bus own.
And Stumpy in I'll casss proved 'ne
...cn.r' man, he boosted himself; one
saederce followed the other unu! inc
.S e,,oym time to time,